Incident Overview

Date: Friday 4 February 1949
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-54A-1-DO (DC-4)
Owner/operator: Skyways
Registration Number: G-AJPL
Location: near Tripoli-Castel Benito Airport (TIP) – ÿ Libya
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 53
Component Affected: The aircraft’s engines (specifically the no. 4 and no. 3 engines).The aircraft’s engines (specifically the no. 4 and no. 3 engines).
Category: Accident
A Douglas C-54 aircraft chartered by the UK War Office transported personnel from Nairobi to Castel Benito, Sudan. During a descent, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic engine failure, resulting in a crash into trees. The incident occurred in heavy rain and low visibility.A Douglas C-54 aircraft chartered by the UK War Office transported personnel from Nairobi to Castel Benito, Sudan. During a descent, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic engine failure, resulting in a crash into trees. The incident occurred in heavy rain and low visibility.

Description

The Douglas C-54 had been chartered by the UK War Office to transport personnel from Nairobi to the UK. The aircraft departed Khartoum for the leg to Castel Benito. The let down procedure was carried out west of Castel Benito in conditions of heavy rain and low (2 miles) visibility. When at about 700 feet, descending downwind, the no. 4 engine failed, followed immediately by the no. 3 engine. The aircraft lost altitude and crashed into trees. PROBABLE CAUSE: “1) Failure of the captain to maintain a safe height, by utilizing the available power of the starboard engines after power failure in the port engine. The reason for this failure by the captain cannot be determined. 2) The power failure in the port engines was caused by fuel starvation brought about by an insufficiency of fuel in the port tanks. This fuel shortage was the result of the wing tanks being allowed to become progressively unbalanced during the last stage of the flight. 3) An attempt by the flight engineer under emergency conditions to cross feed the port engine from the starboard tanks, failed owing to the full operation not having been completed in time.”

Primary Cause

Failure of the captain to maintain a safe height, utilizing the available power of the starboard engines after power failure in the port engine. The captain’s failure cannot be determined.Failure of the captain to maintain a safe height, utilizing the available power of the starboard engines after power failure in the port engine. The captain’s failure cannot be determined.

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